formvélar

Formvélar, also known as velar nasals, are a type of consonant sound used in some spoken languages. They are characterized by the closure of the velum, which is the soft palate, allowing air to escape through the nose. This results in a nasal quality to the sound. Formvélar sounds are typically produced with the tongue positioned at the back of the mouth, near the velum.

In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), formvélar sounds are represented by the symbols ŋ and ɴ. The ŋ sound is commonly found in languages such as English, where it appears in words like "sing" and "ring." The ɴ sound is less common and is found in languages like Japanese and some African languages.

Formvélar sounds are distinct from other nasal sounds, such as alveolar nasals (e.g., /n/ in "no") and bilabial nasals (e.g., /m/ in "moon"). The primary difference lies in the location of the tongue and the involvement of the velum. Formvélar sounds are an important feature of many languages and contribute to their phonetic and phonological systems.